Happy (day-after)Friday, folks. Yesterday’s tsunami rain made it difficult impossible for Tina to get an actual photo of today’s cocktail. Anyhow, it’s good to be back and I apologize for being MIA last week. I was soaking up the last of the summer sun in the Keys for a bachelor party. It’s hard to believe that Fall is right around the corner when it’s still 90 degrees.

I wanted to bring you a little sipper that is inspired by the flavors of Autumn but will still refresh you if your local temperature still think it’s summer vacation. It seems like spiked teas are all the rage and having Southern roots, sweet iced tea is always a staple. You can find pre-mixed tea flavored vodka drinks out there but you all know how I feel about pre-mixed stuff.

I happen to love chai tea. I did a little research and “chai” is a generic word for tea used in eastern countries. Chai tea is simply a spiced tea steeped in water and milk and sweetened. The flavor profile of chai tea is so comforting and the addition of the cream makes it so silky. Sounds good, right? Well, I wanted to take it to the next level so I spiked it with vanilla vodka and amaretto. Mission accomplished. The soft vanilla notes and sweet nutty almond flavor compliment the chai tea perfectly.

I hope you’re a chai tea fan like me because this is how chai tea should be served. Bring on the Fall and those earthy flavors and even if the heat sticks around, you can still serve up this sweet and refreshing sipper.

Vanilla Vodka Chai Tea

Ingredients:

Directions:

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil and steep 4 tea bags for 2 to 4 minutes (following the tea directions on the box). Allow to cool and refrigerate until time of use (3 cups tea will yield 4 drinks).

In a cocktail shaker or tall glass, combine ingredients and shake or stir generously (shaking will froth up the half n half and help release the infused flavor in the spirits). Fill glass with ice and pour drink over ice. Garnish with a cinnamon stick or two.